About Joseph A
Joseph A Cervantez earned his law degree from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, completing his J.D. in 2012. He came to the practice after a period of study that placed him squarely in courtroom and appellate work. The law school years set the stage for a career that moves between trial-level prosecution and appellate advocacy.
He began his public-service career in county prosecutor offices. Cervantez served as an Assistant State's Lawyer in the Williamson County State's Lawyer's Office. He also worked as an Assistant State's Lawyer in the Saline County State's Lawyer's Office. In those roles he handled criminal matters and other prosecutions, gaining experience in case preparation, motion practice and courtroom procedure. The county positions exposed him to both the day-to-day demands of public prosecution and the procedural complexities that follow when cases move beyond the trial court.
Cervantez is admitted to practice before several federal appellate courts. He holds admission in the 1st Circuit, the 2nd Circuit and the Federal Circuit. Those admissions indicate work that extends into appellate filings and federal appellate procedure. Over time he moved from trial-level practice toward matters that require briefing, legal research and argument on appeal.
Outside the offices where he prosecuted cases, Cervantez participates in bar association activities. He maintains membership in the Williamson County Bar Association and the Jackson County Bar Association. He has been active with the Illinois State Bar Association Committee on Professional Conduct, a role he has held since 2017. That committee work places him in ongoing conversations about legal ethics, discipline issues and professional standards within Illinois.
His work history combines trial experience at the county level with appellate practice across multiple federal circuits. Colleagues describe him as a practitioner who brings practical courtroom experience to appellate questions. He has navigated the transition from county prosecutor to an attorney admitted to practice in federal appellate courts, applying procedural knowledge earned in both settings.
As of 2026 he continues to practice law, handling appellate matters in the circuits where he holds admission and engaging with issues related to professional conduct and ethics in his bar association roles.
